More From the Weekend

Avery spent quality time with Todd and her grandparents at the ranch over the weekend. She really loves the great outdoors.

We just returned from Avery's 15 month check up. Avery is up to 28 pounds and 34.5" which puts her at 97% for weight and pretty much off the charts for height. In other words, she's crazy big!

Treasures and Projects

We found these little gems for Avery at the Buy, Buy Birdie tent. The first day they didn't seem to want to sell them off of the mannequin, but we persisted. They came home with us the next day. Hopefully, we'll be in a town with a bit more of a rainy season next year, so Avery can put them to use. I have a feeling she'll have some fun in them with or without the rain. And, yes that is a glittery surface. Perfect!I couldn't pass up these owls. The mid-sized brown one is an old cast iron door stop. The funny thing about him are the price tags. The one on the bottom is for a whopping $115, the one on the top is for $40, and we paid $10. Seems like a bargain to me.I found the little guy at Junk Gypsy.Okay, now for the projects. Sorry for the fuzzy picture, but maybe this will make for a more dramatic before and after reveal. I was hoping to find one mannequin on this trip to embellish, but I came home with two. I just liked the one I found the next day better plus it already had a stand. I have some plans for these kiddos involving modpodge and paint. Then they'll be ready to display some sewing creations. If anyone has any great ideas, please send them my way. I think I'll make a cute wreath with the metal Christmas banner. I found a couple other small items not really worth sharing and a gift or two. I can't wait to get started on those projects, but I know it will be a bit before anything happens. Wish me luck and inspiration!

Miles of Shopping

I had two days of shopping bliss in Warrenton over the weekend. The first day I headed out with my friend Kelly, but did not manage to take any pictures. I did a bit better with the camera on the second day with my Mom and second cousin Renae. Here is a little tour of some of my favorite spots. Starting with Buy, Buy Birdie, a hippie pink wonderland.

They had the corner of cupcake paradise.

And a bunch of painted boots.

We snacked on the real deal at Sisterbelles. These sweet ladies made some great cupcakes! I love their logo and tag line, on a wing and a prayer.

You can't go to Warrenton without stopping at Junk Gypsy's a couple of times. I didn't get any pictures inside since they seemed to be doing a photo shoot both days. They are frequently featured in Country Living, so I'll be keeping an eye out for a new article.

I loved all of the shabby Christmas decor, but at $300+ I had to leave this beauty behind.

Clearly we indulged our sweet tooth a bit much, but I couldn't let my Mom and cousin go without a taste of a fried Twinkie.

I missed the fun opening of Clutter on Friday when they serve wine and cheese. I did enjoy their lovely display of totes.

Here is the wacky item of the weekend. You just never know what you're going to see out there.

I'll take pictures of my treasures as I get them unpacked, so there will be more to come.

Antique Weekend

It's Warrenton time again! For various reasons, the biggest being the probable birth of Katy's baby, we couldn't get all of the girls together this time. It's only going to be Kelly and I just for the day tomorrow. I'll be posting about the treasures we find. If I just can't get enough, I'm going to pull my Mom away from Avery and go back on Saturday. Wish us luck in hunting!

Sewing Break

I had a great excuse for taking a break on scrapbooking to sew. I'm waiting for the last few photos to come in the mail. There is a long story of lost Christmas photos, but I won't bore you with it.
Due to the sizing problems I've had, I was not going to buy any more of the Portabellopixie patterns again, but my parents bought the Analise pattern for me. I had to give it a try, and I am so glad I did. This pattern comes together so quick and cute. Once again, I used Jennifer Paganelli and Patty Young fabrics. Here is my little model.

I love the back!

My two sweeties.

Omie's Here

We're thrilled that Omie came for a visit this weekend.

Southern Charm

Sweet Tea cupcakes

A while back I decided to try to come up with a cupcake based on Todd's favorite flavor from the South, sweet tea. I took the basic flour, sugar, butter, etc. proportions from the Magnolia Bakery cupcakes, but made the flavorings my own. Here are the makings of Sweet Tea Cupcakes.

1 ¼ c all- purpose flour
1 ½ c self-rising flour
¼ tsp salt
1 c butter (2 sticks), room temperature
2 c granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp lemon extract
1 ¼ c milk, (may need a few Tbsp extra)
7 iced tea bags

Bring milk almost to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add 6 tea bags, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags squeezing out excess liquid. Return mixture to a measuring cup and add extra milk to bring milk/tea mixture to 1 cup. Let cool. Stir in extracts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper cups. In a bowl, combine the flours, 1 tsp tea from remaining bag, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating, with the milk/tea mixture. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in tins for 15 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. (2 dozen)

Lemon Tea Buttercream

¾ c unsalted butter
4 Tbsp shortening
1/3 c lemon juice
1-2 tsp lemon zest
8 c confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp tea leaves

Combine butter, shortening, lemon juice, tea leaves, and zest in mixer bowl. Add 4 c confectioner’s sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add 1 c confectioner’s sugar at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Please let me know if you give this one a try. I'd love to hear what you think.

Giggly

Doesn't every parent think their child's laughter is the most beautiful sound?

Sad to Say

This is what my guest/sewing/craft room looked like yesterday.

Here it is today.

I've decided that the only way I will catch up on Avery's scrapbook is to restrict myself from sewing for a bit (probably the month of September). It's especially hard since I just got some new fabric that I ordered yesterday. I'm almost a year behind, so drastic measures are necessary. Tomorrow, this room may be disheveled again with paper supplies. Let's hope I can get through this quickly, so we can get back to sewing. I told you I'm addicted!

Sew Pleased

I have to admit that this outfit makes me giddy. I'm loving the way it turned out. My sewing techniques could definitely be improved, so up close inspection is not advised. But, the overall look makes me smile. The top is Portabellopixie's Gracie Reversible Jumper. I used the tutorial from Little Girl Pearl for revising the round collar. I think this is a great way to put together the top, but my blind stitching on the curve sure needs some improvement. The construction of Amy Butler's Anna tunic is very similar, but for some reason I had a harder time sewing this one together. I did a bit of applique on the reverse side.

This is my first attempt at a series of buttonholes. It was quite a learning experience.

The fabrics are from Patty Young and Jennifer Paganelli.

Saturday at the Park

Yes, Avery is actually CRAWLING through the tunnel as opposed to the usual bottom scooting.